Trail walking is my ‘go to’ activity to shape up my focus in life’s difficult circumstances. During the change in seasons the trail become mucky making it difficult to reach my destination. I exert more effort with every step forward to lift my boots up out of the mud. It’s exhausting, but very good training for my muscles! Sometimes we need to exert the same level of effort with our thoughts and emotions to recalibrate their focus. It can feel like pulling them out of sticky muck to re-focus them on solid truth.
Author: sljacks
God Stilled My Frightful Atheistic Heart
My shadow marched in front of me as we strode down the busy cement sidewalk. It was invisible in the shadow of the trees but in sharp focus in the bright sunlight. A stoplight arrested our forward movement and a fleeting thought came rushing into my mind: “If I were to be hit by a car right now and die I would never see any of this world again – EVER! My heart frightfully shuddered within me in that critical moment frantically trying to push down it’s dark fears!
This dreadful thought pressed into and assaulted my atheistic belief system!
Why My Sneakers Remind Me of Jesus
I love my sneakers!
I love how the laces cinch in my big feet to help them appear slender and stylish with the tongue popping up to show-off the “All Star” tab for all to see. Plus there is a special way to lace up my sneakers … it’s like an initiation rite into “THE” sneakers club! I mean … they even have Youtube videos on how to lace my sneakers – cool right!?!
Pathway to a Blessed Life
“What a blessing!,” comes to mind when we get something unexpected, like some sort of divine kiss of approval from above. We often attribute the word blessing to financial gifts, help from family/friends, or even a prime parking spot.
Taming a Wildflower Heart Without Creating a Hedge of Protection
As I walked through the intricate design of an English garden, full of impeccably trimmed hedges, my eye caught a glimpse of a bright wildflower off in the distance. It was swaying in the ocean breeze, changing directions in the salty wind. Streams of sunlight reflected different hues of colour on its pointed petals. It was freely dancing in a tapestry of divine movement. My heart fluttered recognizing it’s own wildness in that strong yet delicate flower.
My Way or the ‘High’ Way?
The dust kicked up behind the pick-up as we sped toward our destination. A friend picked me up for a surprise adventure. He was excited to show me something.
What Does Justice Really Mean to God?
That is wrong! Such a bold declaration escapes our lips, hurled toward anything that assaults our sense of what is right. We can react with a visceral conviction that can passionately erupt from deep within. We think justice has been served when someone is made to pay for their transgression of the law.
“But is this what justice means to God?”
Have You Ever Questioned the “How” of God’s Purpose for You?
Have you ever wondered if you are doing what God has created you to do? Has church become more like a club where you go to high five your favourite friends? Could it be possible that we’ve become more like consumers and less like world changers? I admit I’ve wrestled with all these questions and the answers, ..are well … life changing!
God’s Unique Way to Help Us Overcome Life’s Losses
Do you mourn lost years? Has your heart lost something of value? Deep down do you think of yourself as a failure? How would you describe your inner self, the part of you that you hide from others? You are not alone these are deep questions that plague many of us!
The Way to a Peaceful Heart
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
~ Paul, Philippians 2:13
Have you ever felt like you were in a tumble dryer going around and around in an unstoppable cycle that you had little control over? Or maybe like one of those dryers that rotates one way then stops and reverses rotation in the opposite direction? My spiritual life has felt like this all too often.